i dont really believe this is true but we are 5 days from pitchers and catchers and bourn has seemingly no serious suitors so maybe something finally broke our way

"Did you check with Vivasantos?"

Ha!

"Mike Cameron without the power. Yawn!"

Exactly. This will wind up blocking a spot for a better player available next year. Bourn might help us to avoid losing 100 games, but he won't do much more for us than that. What is all the hysteria about Bourn, and if he is so great why did the Braves let him go?

The same people screaming for bourn will be the same people screaming for his head when he under performs

Good point.

"This will wind up blocking a spot for a better player available next year."

But how would he block anybody? We've got THREE spots open and nobody here that you can deem likely to turn into something good.

I thought MLB was leaning towards NOT giving Mets an exemption on the draft pick, so its not likely like the Mets will sign him.

What happens if no one signs Bourn, assuming the Mets don’t pursue Bourn or MLB doesn’t protect the Mets pick, how long will it take before MLB waives the CBA rule that will require teams that sign Michael Bourn or Kyle Lohse? Face it, Bourn and Lohse are victims of the new CBA system. If the loss of a draft pick wasn't attached, both of these guys probably would have signed by now. Pitchers and catchers report in only 5 days and both are still unsigned. It’s in the owners (except the Mets) best interest not waive the CBA draft pick requirement and it’s in the best interest of Bourn, Boras and the players union for MLB to waive the CBA draft pick requirement. As we get closer or even past opening day and MLB eventually waives the CBA draft pick requirement, that will undermine the whole CBA draft pick requirement, since then next year and future years the players and agents will know they’ll just wait it out until the MLB eventually waives the CBA draft pick requirement increasing the demand for the player and ultimately increasing the player’s contract, not what the owners want. So what will MLB do if both of these players still don’t have new contracts come opening day??

When you think about it, it may behove MLB to waive it for the Mets, it’s not ideal for the owners but better than the alternative of completely undermining the CBA draft pick requirement. This of course will only sort out Bourn and not Lohse, but there could be knock on effect and once everyone sees the Mets and Bourn will be the only exception, it might eventually help Lohse get a contract, although probably not as big as he expected.

Yes he is worth it for a number of reasons, Not the least of which is he fills three holes, A lead off hitter, Great D, Speed. and with all the money we will have comming off next year and the large number of productive kids we have making minimum or less then market who really cares if we slightly over pay a few mill? Harvey, Wheeler and Gee will make up 3/5ths of our rotation in 2014 making the minimum, With Neise making well below market value, We will have a C, 1st, 2B and SS all making below market value, So we can well afford to overpay for a postion we are not strong at.

LOL

Borass telling Mets he has better offers, Tell him to take them then, If Im Sandy I offer him 4 for 48 with a vesting 5th year option and tell him this is it take it now or we move on.

If Boras is telling Mets he has better offers if I'm Alderson I ask:
"So why the heck you still talking to me on February 6th? Why didn't you already take 1 of those 'better' offers?"

Perfect reply for Sandy, I would offer 4 for 48 with a 5th year vesting option and tell him this is the offer call your client because once you leave this meeting the offer is gone and we are going to sign the remaining retreads instead.

No more than 3 years at $9 million per with options for year 4 and 5.

That just is not realistic, He is a much better player then Pagan and Pagan got 4 for 40.

If we can get him for the same thing Pagan got that would be a steal by comparison if it didn't cost a first round pick.

>>>"That just is not realistic, He is a much better player then Pagan and Pagan got 4 for 40. "<<<

Just because TEAM A gave PLAYER A a certain amount, doesn't mean TEAM B should give PLAYER B a certain amount.

Yes, we GMs and agent follow markets and compare other players, but I'm not overpaying just because someone was willing to.

And to me that is looking at what a player is worth to us, as opposed to what he's worth to some other team that may only be one or two players away from a WS.

"Just because TEAM A gave PLAYER A a certain amount, doesn't mean TEAM B should give PLAYER B a certain amount."

Not just team A, its team A Team B Team C, that is just where the market is now so if we can get him for under market value without losing a pick then we should jump on it.

AGreed however I think 4 for 48 is more realistic, he is much better then Pagan woth a much deeper history.